but not be a cyclist.

my kids ride a lot and i'd like to go with them, and perhaps start taking our bikes to some trails, but i have no desire to be a road biker

i haven't owned a bike since i was 15 and don't know what the best all purpose bike would be. i know that the $100 options at academy or walmart are not it, but i also don't want to sink 100s of dollar into something.

any recommends for a hybrid for a guy getting into it to start off?

I would consider getting a single speed. You can get one pretty reasonably priced. Go to a small speciality bike store and talk to a salesman.

fatbike or gtfo

Look for a Trek mtn bike on craigslist

Why not a cheap walmart bike? Use it enough to wear it out and you justify buying something nicer

Ok let me rephrase. What kind of Walmart/academy bike should I buy if so.

Buy a used hybrid or mountain bike off of Craigslist. You can get a decent one for $250-300 that will last you a long time

If you are talking about dirt trails, I wouldn't get a hybrid. I would just buy an cheap mountain bike. You don't event need a suspension fork. In your price range, do not buy a bike that has a rear shock. Don't. You want a hardtail, aluminum frame. I wouldn't buy from a big box department store, because most of those people don't assemble bikes correctly. One cheap alternative for being new is Performance Bike. Your best bet however is a used bike on crags list. There should be tons of cheap hard tails unless you are super short or super tall.

I wouldn't worry about brand specificity, such as trek, since most frames are made in the same plant in China. Bargain brands such as GT for instance, will be fine for what you have in mind.

Something like this would work:

https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/bik/6107700027.html

$80 walmart bike...